making news in america this morning -- negative numbers. much of the nation waking up to dangerous cold today. who's in for the bitter blast? and how low will it go? hack attack. millions of passwords for facebook, twitter and other sites stolen. a an attack that's still happening. a pro basketball game canceled. an arena evacuated after a frightening fire. and a popular scene from a christmas movie played out in a whole, new place. good thursday morning.

we begin with the biting cold snap that just won't quit, blasting a big chunk of the country with a brutal dose of arctic air. >> as snow moves from to oklahoma from ohio, temperatures are plummeting even more this morning. look at some of these numbers. at this moment, minus 3 in bismarck, north dakota. minus 1 in denver. and a staggering 17 below zero in glasgow, montana. our coverage begins now, with tahman bradley. >> reporter: this morning, half the country is waking up in a deep freeze. overnight, temperatures plummeted, as winter storms blasted two dozen states. slick and icy roads are making diving conditions dangerous. from montana, to north dakota, to minnesota. >> we're going to hit. we're going to hit. >> reporter: in northern minnesota, a powerful storm dumped over two feet of snow. the conditions didn't stop these brave postal workers from trying to deliver holiday packages on time. >> it's the most enjoyable time of year when we have bad weather conditions. but we all try to stay in the christmas spirit.

>> reporter: the brutal cold is making life miserable for millions. in california, they're dealing with record-breaking low temperatures. >> couldn't have been much more than 40 last night. >> reporter: william powell, a furnace repairman is getting call after call. >> this is my fourth or fifth call today. >> reporter: it's another tough day for citrus growers, trying to save their crops. in denver, single-digit temperatures shut down the zoo, forcing the animals indoors. this dangerous blast of winter is moving east and south. dallas is bracing for its coldest weather in two years. >> we have all of our equipment and manpower strategically placed. >> reporter: the cold snap could make this weekend's dallas marathon even more difficult. >> i don't run on ice. >> reporter: meteorologists say this is one of the coldest air masses to invade the u.s. since the 1990s. tahman bradley, abc news, washington. and the wicked weather is

not only wreaking havoc on the roads. it's been knocking out power. we can expect more of the same today. >> accuweather meteorologist jim dickey tells us what's on tap. jim? >> good morning john and diana. a brutal cold mass is set up in much of the country here. these are expected early-morning temperatures. minus 9 in bismarck. the entire states of montana and wyoming, down to zero in these hours. those are raw temperatures, not windchills. as the frigid air continues to slide to the southeast, we're going to see snow and ice. three to six inches of snow from oklahoma city into st. louis, starting tonight. ice for little rock and dallas. john and diana, back to you. >> jim, thank you. stay with abc news for the latest on this cold snap. "gma" will have team coverage. a look at what's happening out there and what is still to come. investigators in mexico have recovered a stolen truck loaded with dangerous radioactive materials. but they warn those thieves may be in grave dangers themselves. mexican troops are standing on guard of that recovered truck

around the clock until the experts can safely dispose of a hazardous cobalt 60. >> this is material that could be used if used properly, in a very dangerous dirty bomb. they need to know how to handle the material without giving themselves incapacitating doses of radiation. >> it appears the thieves may have done that. investigators believe they cracked open the device and removed some of the cobalt 60. they could be at risk of dying within another day or two. connecticut state officials have lost their long legal battle to keep those painful 911 calls from last year's sandy hook school massacre. the state has reluctantly released the recordings. but abc has decided not to air the audio. we can tell you they capture the horror of frantic school personnel begging for help. and calm dispatchers staying on the line and reassuring them that help was on the way.

thousands of college students in north carolina were on lockdown for more than two hours after a deadly shooting near their campus. at 6:00 p.m., they told everybody to turn their lights off. two men were shot and killed nearby. we learned of a threat of millions of internet accounts. a massive breach. hackers have stolen the user names and passwords for gmail and other accounts. the experts believe the attack may still be happening. they recommend updating your anti-virus software right away. a bombshell has emerged from the documents that were leaked by edward snowden. the national security agency tracked the locations of up to 5 billion overseas cell phone calls, including those belonging to americans. the tracking picks up the names of the people the users are calling. it does not gather data on american cell phones inside the

u.s. president obama is wading into the minimum wage debate, as it grabs a spotlight today in cities coast-to-coast. president obama cled on congress to increase the federal minimum wage. he pressed for an extension to jobless benefits to over a million long-term unemployed people. they expire three days after christmas. meantime, fast food workers across the country will have their say today. they're staging another round of walkouts for higher pay. among the demands, a $15 an hour minimum wage and the right to unionize. experts say such a pay increase could push up fast food costs by about 20%. put another way, the cost of a $3 hamburger could rise to around $3.50. universal pictures is shutting down production on "fast & furious 7," to figure out how to proceed with the character played by paul walker. a california jeweler is

revealing a secret about walker. walker anonymously bought an engagement ring for an iraqi war vet and his fiancee, after overhearing them say they couldn't afford the ring. new documents showing toronto mayor rob ford may have tried to buy a video that appears him smoking crack. ford may have offered suspected drug-dealing gang members 5,000 bucks in exchange for that video. so far, no comment from ford. starting this morning, he is set to begin weekly appearances on a washington-based talk show to make nfl picks. disgraced congressman anthony weiner. "new york daily news" says that weiner is in talks to host a radio show. michelle obama had to do quick damage control after the newest addition to the family got out of control. >> sunny got so excited he knocked over a toddler.

ashton gardner is fine. the first lady helped her up and gave her a hug. and sunny made nice. we'll learn more about the event later in the newscast. so glad she didn't cry. she handled it like a champ. coming up, the original muscle car redefined. we'll show you the brand-new ford mustang. plus, the secret inside victoria's secret. the way they treat men and women differently. and the mystery of the big tipper. 5 grand here. 10 grand there. we now may know who is living the famous tips for jesus. mme

this morning, major fines

are being leveled against eight financial firms including two giant american banks. citigroup and jpmorgan chase are among them for rigging interest rates. the commission said it was shocking to find so many banks that should have been competing against one another colluding instead. the stock market opens lower again this morning. the dow fell 25 points. its fourth-straight loss. the longest losing streak in two months. analysts blame investor anxiety ahead of tomorrow's critical employment report. for lovers of the ford mustang, today is like christmas 20 days early. the company is rolling out the new 2015 mustang today in events around the world. when it goes on sale next year, buyers will have to choose from three different engines. this is the mustang's first redesign since 2005. the car will be built at a ford plant near detroit. and it's a new record auction price for a piece of american artwork. it a norman rockwell called "saying grace." there it is, for obvious reasons.

it was purchased last night for 46 million bucks. that's the highest price ever paid for a rockwell. it was expected to sell for between $15 million and $20 million. the buyer, by the way, has not been identified. come on, john. we know it's you. >> well, you know. it's one of those little things i put in my studio apartment here in new york. a secret revealed about victoria's secret. a former employee says the chicago area branch of the store trained workers to treat women and men differently. they were more likely to sell men full-priced items while the female would get the sales. they knew the men wanted to get out of the store as quickly as possible. >> they tapped into something that's so true. >> walking into a woman's underwear shop. yeah. i'll take it. >> whatever it is. just put it in the bag. let me go. >> exactly. >> smart. >> what you have to do online. the victoria's secret online. >> there you go. there's a tip for you, america. when we come back, a

promising, young athlete's fascinating or -- facing an accusation that possibly will change his life. and today's the day. this heisman front-runner will learn whether he's going to end up in handcuffs. plus, the stadium scare and the players had to evacuate after smoke fills the arena. [ female announcer ] you get sick, you can't breathe through your nose... suddenly you're a mouth breather. a mouth breather! how do you sleep like that? you dry up, your cold feels even worse. well, put on a breathe right strip and shut your mouth. cold medicines open your nose over time, but add a breathe right strip, and pow! it instantly opens your nose up to 38% more so you can breathe and do the one thing you want to do. sleep. add breathe right to your cold medicine. shut your mouth and sleep right. breathe right. before redeeming their bank of america travel rewards points on more than just flights

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and with a flip of a switch, the holiday season in new york city got a whole lot brighter. this year's christmas tree in rockefeller plaza, is a 76-foot spruce featuring 45,000 lights and a 9 1/2-foot wide star on top. it will be on display until january 2nd. it's beautiful. now, for a look at your morning road conditions. snow-covered roads in the rockies, plains and the midwest.

slick from oklahoma all the way to ohio. wet highways from virginia into the southern appalachians. and icy roads in northern new england. >> if you're flying, airport delays in dallas, memphis, chicago, minneapolis, detroit and houston. back to the news now. the rape investigation involving florida state star quarterback jameis winston is over. and today we'll learn if he'll be charged. >> the prosecutor will announced what is next in this case at 2:00 p.m. eastern time today. winston's attorney has maintained his client has the done nothing illegal. and he said if the prosecutor saw the same evidence he did, winston would be cleared. >> i think he did a complete investigation. i know i pressured him to hurry the investigation. i know the media has the questions. and he has a desire to get this off his plate. >> he also said that winston will address the situation after the prosecutor's announcement. winston is a leading heisman trophy candidate. and the seminoles are college football's number one team. the spurs and timberwolves must reschedule the game they

were supposed to play last night. it was going to be played in mexico city. but smoke inside the arena forced everyone out and the game had to be postponed. the smoke was a result of a generator malfunction. the players warming up first thought that crews were testing out fireworks. and then, they were told to get out. >> maybe cheech and chong were there. a search for a silicon valley executive and his family going on for a four day. dale smith was flying the private plane from oregon to montana when it vanished in idaho on sunday. he radioed that there was trouble and asked for directions but never made it. a rescue operation is under way in the florida everglades after pilot whales were in shallow water. they'll be back out at first light to try again. meanwhile, they've taken samples hoping to determine why the whales have beached themselves.

and the christmas spirit seemed to be in short supply at a christmas tree lighting in philadelphia. two women got into it. had to be separated. apparently their disagreement stems from one standing in the other's way. it all ended soon enough when police escorted some people out of the event. there were no injuries. this is my spot. this is my spot to watch this christmas tree lighting. >> man, oh, man. >> come on, ladies. >> oh, boy. a big tipper, brightening the season for restaurant workers across the country, leaving tips of thousands of dollars. now, we may know who the mystery patron is. one of the latest gifts was a $5,000 tip at a bar in port orchard, washington. the tipper was sitting by himself. and asked this -- >> are you sure this is what you want to do. the guy goes, i made a ton of money in my life. this is my way of giving back. >> at another bar in michigan, he left $3,000. enough for the bartender to pay

a year's worth of car insurance and more. there's reports that this morning the donor is jack selby, a former internet exec. but he is staying silent for now. police car dash cams usually don't show good news until now. this dash cam shows an indiana patrol officer coming to the rescue of a teddy bear when it landed in the middle of a major interstate. we're told that the bear and its human family have been happily reunited thanks to that police officer. >> pretty cool. >> good for him. the nfl's week 14 kicking off tonight with jacksonville hosting houston. as for last night's basketball action including a big upset in college hoops, here are our friends at espn. >> good morning, america. how's your day going? he's stan. i'm neil. this is the "sportscenter" set in los angeles. >> it's really early. nobody knows how they're day's going. too early to call. carolina and michigan state. price johnson scores. if your day is going well, it's going to be spectacular.

johnson, 14 points off the bench. j.p. had 12 points. carolina up six. they're going to finish the job. tom izzo called the michigan state team soft. you don't want to be at their practice on thursday. north carolina goes on to upset michigan state, 79-65. let's go to the great northwest. emphasis on great. trail blazers hosting the thunder. this used to be a rivalry when the thunder was the sonics. i'm supposed to let that go. lamarcus aldridge, late. he has 38 and 13. he played like a man. speaking of, russell westbrook, one-point game. with about 30 seconds left, nicolas batum channels his inner billy ray bates. that's going back in the wayback machine. trail blazers, 111-104. >> we saw that blazers/warriors game the other night. west is going to be crazy. >> yeah, man. >> i can't wait.

back to you. >> yeah. >> guys, thanks. up next, "the pulse." the former president shows off his latest fancy footwear. and the image on his new socks might look familiar. speaking of familiar. this iconic scene re-enacted in the most unlikely of places. vo: it's that time of year again. medicare open enrollment. time to compare plans and costs. you don't have to make changes. but it never hurts to see if you can find better coverage, save money, or both. and check out the preventive benefits you get after the health care law. open enrollment ends december 7th. so now's the time. visit medicare.gov or call 1-800-medicare

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♪ time to check "the pulse," the stories you'll be talking about today. we start with a throwback literally to 1933. >> it was 80 years ago when the 18th amendment was repealed. >> to honor the repeal of prohibition. the 21st hour of the day, drink responsibly, folks.

president george bush hasn't always been a fashion do. but at least he's entertaining. >> take his socks, for example. like these pink ones he wore at the dedication of his son's presidential library in april. and this patriotic pair he sported during an appearance with the houston texan cheerleaders. >> this time, he showed up wearing socks with pictures of himself. >> what? >> they're a gift from a fan in canada. >> okay. >> kind of getting a rep for these socks here. told you in "the pulse," it marks our 30th anniversary of a movie called "a christmas story." >> and there's a new parody getting a lot of attention done by a group called improv everywhere. it plays off of the triple dog dare scene, with a kid's tong getting stuck on a frozen pole. the kid was wearing a prosthetic tongue. he's not actually licking the pole. >> i love the faces are of people who know what's happening. and everyone, some of the other

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checking our stop stories -- the deep freeze gripping half of the country is getting worse today, as snow moves into the south. temperatures in the rockies and dakotas dip into sub zero territory. a widespread hack of facebook, twitter and gmail accounts may still be happening. and workers in 100 u.s. cities are staging another day of protest today. they're demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage and the right to unionize. aside from the cold, rain and snow in new mexico and arizona. a band of snow from oklahoma to ohio. heavy rain from texas to tennessee. wet in virginia. freezing rain for northern new england. finally this morning, that adorable and untimely harmless

incident at the white house we showed you earlier. >> it took place amid the splendor of the obamas' decorations. and a scene that one youngster had no idea she was involved in. >> we get details from mary bruce. >> reporter: someone may be too excited for the holidays. sunny, the newest member of the obama family, joined the first lady and children for holiday cheer. bounding with excitement. she got a little too rambunctious for this toddler. with a hand from mrs. obama and a kiss from sunny, the tiny toppled tot was just fine. the first lady welcomed military families to the white house to unveil this year's decorations and to thank them for their sacrifices. >> no matter what challenges you all face, during the holidays or any other time during the year, you all just dig a little deeper. >> reporter: the white house is fully decorated for the holidays and ready to welcome the 70,000 visitors expected this season.

the numbers are impressive. it took 83 volunteers from all 50 states to deck these halls. there are 24 christmas trees, 450 books, a 300-pound gingerbread white house and 1,000 yards of satin ribbon, used to make replicas of the famous pups. >> they're mechanical. this is a new step. we're stepping up in the world. bo and sunny honoring. >> reporter: there's one more christmas tree left to light. president obama and the first family will turn the switch on the massive national christmas tree on friday. john and diana? >> mary, thank you. it's the kind of scene, it was going to happen, it was the perfect thing to happen. she didn't cry. the first lady was there. >> that would have been some photo op if the kid was shell-shocked and scared. >> but she wasn't. everybody handled it well. including sunny. sunny is a portuguese water dog.

that's what's making news in america this morning. >> new overnight, crews are cleaning up after a dramatic wreck. take a look at these images. bell have the latest. one of the coldest systems in record is sweeping the country this morning. we will tell you everything you need to know as it heads in our direction. >> i know,. good morning, washington, i'm jummy olabanji. >> to better way to put that. good news, it is certainly not here today. 53 degrees. >> san diego. >> feels